Drying seeds is a crucial part in most seed processes. The quality and the longevity, very important factors for profitability for each seed business, are enormously influenced by drying.
Especially in areas with high ambient temperatures and/or high air moisture contents, such as in Asia, the non-trivial issue of drying and storing seeds is even a higher challenge.
Investment costs for adequate drying and storage systems are high. Further, the exploitation of such drying and storage systems suffer from irregular and unpredictable performance. Energy costs are soaring and are adding another challenging dimension to drying and storing seeds. In addition, adequate resources and infrastructure are often not available in those environments where seed drying and storage facilities are definitely needed.
Generally, the application of beads for drying seeds is a promising technology due to their drying performance and its nearly unending intrinsic regeneration possibilities. However, it appears in practice that regeneration of beads is rather cumbersome and labor intensive. Then, the drying system is not in operation during an uncertain period of time.